The Father of Football

First college soccer football game was played. Rugby was actually pretty popular already at the time, but Harvard had banned it in 1860 because it was considered “barbaric.” After 1869, when collegians started playing soccer, the games got more and more like rugby. No one knew the rules anymore, because they changed constantly. The game wasn’t just growing into something different than soccer. It was becoming different than rugby, too.
Teams and fans liked it, but it was still confusing. In 1876, Walter Camp started attending Yale to study medicine and business. He played in the first Yale vs. Harvard rugby game that year. He was a smart man who had always been incredibly athletic. He is an important player in the history of football. He was instrumental in coming up with the rules for American football, which were written at the Massasoit Convention later that year. That convention paved the way for the NCAA.
Walter Camp played Varsity for Yale from 1877 to 1882 (the last two years in graduate school), and he was captain of the team for three of those years. He’s credited with a lot of the football rules and scoring still used today. While he didn’t invent football – it came about more by evolution – he is widely credited as “the Father of Football.”
Camp created the quarterback position, the idea that one team should have undisputed possession of the ball at a time, strategic plays, the number of players, and other key positions. He was the first Yale football coach, and he was involved in every rulemaking convention and committee until his death in 1925.
By 1885, modern American football was pretty much what it is now, with a few minor exceptions. Obviously, a lot more pads are worn now, and football helmets are required. For those of you who love to watch the most brutal tackles at the end of every year, you’ll be glad to know that Camp was the first to fight for tackles as low as the knee. In 1905, there were almost 20 deaths and well over 100 serious injuries. The public (no doubt led by players’ mothers) was outraged, and there was even a White House conference. Soon after, the NCAA was formed. There were more safety precautions and equipment after this point.

The History of Football – Are You Ready for Some Football?

It’s confusing. If you find yourself at an international airport and tell someone that you love football, they might think you mean soccer, which the rest of the world calls football. It may be necessary to specifically say American or Canadian football (also a little bit different from each other) to come to any type of understanding. How can three different games be called the same thing? They are all related. The history of football has its roots in rugby and soccer.
Despite the manly football men who like to think soccer is a sissy sport, it is the first cousin of football. Soccer was the first of the three sports to be played. In 1823, during a game of football (soccer), a guy named William Ellis at Rugby School in Rugby, England, picked up the ball and ran with it to the goal. No account of the story mentions if he had gone insane or if the move was planned. Apparently, someone else also thought that was a great idea, so the game of rugby football was born. They made the ball oval shaped so it was easier to carry, but it would still bounce and be easily kicked. In 1871, the English Rugby Union came into being and gave everyone standard rules. Before this, teams would just decide on the rules before the game.

The Last Season 1960

The Royals began the 1960 season the same way that they ended the 1959 season, losing to Hofstra. But the team convincingly beat Lycoming, King's and Drexel in their next three games before losing to Albright in the Shriner's Pretzel Bowl game held in Reading. Unfortunately the Royals then lost to Juniata and Muhlenberg. This season ended with a victory against Wilkes and a 4-4-0 record. Leo Broadhurst's number was officially retired at the end of the 1960 season. Unfortunately, it would not be the only number retired.
On Jan. 3, 1961 the University of Scranton discontinued the football program. The program had been losing money for more than a decade primarily due to poor attendance at the games. University President the Very Rev. John J. Long, S. J. stated: "attendance at this sport, following a national pattern, continues to dwindle while the cost of fielding a team steadily increases. This can be attributed in part to the influence of television in changing the habits of sports fans who now prefer to watch top college and professional teams in the comfort of their homes instead of attending the games of their home college teams."
According to the Aquinas the University decided to use the money that had been supporting the football program for other purposes. "The main factor is the rapid expansion of the University. The need of bigger and better buildings, and the necessity to acquire more professors to cope with the rapidly increasing student body, enhance the discontinuation decree."
While some members of the University community complained about the discontinuation of football program, the University of Scranton hung onto its program longer than many other Jesuit schools. Georgetown, Marquette, and former rivals Fordham, St. Joseph's, and Canisius had all dropped football earlier than the University of Scranton.
Pete Carlesimo remained as athletic director. He finished his career as football coach with a record of 80-60-4.
The team, counting since Jack Harding arrived, had accumulated a 164-110-19 record.
Although the varsity football team would no longer compete, the sport continue to be played at the University. An intramural team had been in existence during the 1950s and that team continued to play football into the early 1970s.

A Decade of Struggle the 1950s

Nineteen fifty would prove to be a much more inspiring season, although Carlesimo initially looked at it as a year full of question marks. The Royals started the season with four convincing victories before bowing to the Quantico Marine squad 41-21. The team rebounded and scored three more victories before losing the Thanksgiving day game to Niagara 12-0. The Royals outscored their opponents 202-107. Although it turned out to be a very successful 7-2-0 season, the type of teams that Scranton played had changed. Scranton was playing smaller schools now. And it no longer had any traditional rivals regularly scheduled. St. Bonaventure had moved up in the size of school that it played. And Canisius was no longer a yearly opponent. Other regular teams like Lebanon Valley, Niagara, and Albright were not necessarily on the schedule every year.
In 1951, as the conflict in Korea heated up, conscription returned to American college campuses. Once again freshman would be eligible for varsity competition. Seventy men turned out to try for a place on the Royals squad but only 13 of these men were returning letterman. Nonetheless, the team roared out of the gate winning their first four in convincing fashion. In fact the first three games were shutouts. But the season went downhill as the team tied its fifth game and then lost the next three before beating Waynesboro 12-0 in the finale for a 5-3-1 record.
While the team had put in three successful seasons, and had won The Middle Atlantic conference title for the past three years, game attendance was dropping. The Aquinas blamed the growing popularity of television. Many football fans were staying home or spending the afternoon in the neighborhood tavern watching big-name college teams play on television. The Aquinas suggested that the University start playing its football games on Sunday afternoon. In the mid-1950s professional football was not yet a major television sport.
Carlesimo was not optimistic about the 1952 season. The squad was slow, inexperienced, and had little depth. "We have only one full back, two guards and one center with varsity experience." Carlesimo also was concerned that the team did not have enough experienced players to field a two-platoon squad. The use of separate offensive and defensive teams had become a trend in college football. The Aquinas noted that some fans were complaining that the schedule was too easy. The team did have an easy time with its first three opponents winning by a total score of 98-19, including a 33-7 victory over Bloomsburg who came into the game with a 12 game winning streak. As a result school spirit and game attendance picked up. But for the rest of the season the team faced competitive opponents and lost two games, ending the season 6-2-0. During the season halfback Jim Lavery set the school record for rushing piling up 1094 yards in 114 carries; he also led the East in rushing. He would graduate in 1955 as the all-time leading rusher at the University with 2346 yards and an average of 7.14 yards per carry.
Carlesimo characterized the 1953 squad as a "representative team." The team started with a loss before winning the next two convincingly. After that it was a win one, lose one, tie one kind of a season. The team finished 5-3-1 which was, more or less, a representative year. The high point of the season was a 32-7 victory over St. Vincent's, a team that had defeated the Royals the previous two years. The low point was a 19-0 loss to Albright, a team the Royals had defeated the previous two years.
Although the team had been having successful seasons, game attendance was low. The May 20, 1954 Aquinas featured an article titled Must Football Sing Its Swan Song so Soon? "They tell us that next year football must practically pack the park or else pack and depart." The columnist, Joe DiNicola, suggested that the University team up with Marywood ROTC to stage "spectacular half-time shows." He also suggested constant citywide pep rallies and that the school dump the the "sissified name of Royals and officially re-adopt the name Tommies." Finally, he recognized that Scranton may be a "ghost town" what came to sports. But he wanted football to go down fighting.
Carlesimo was optimistic going into the 1954 season. "Our prospects for '54 look bright, with a veteran backfield and a good line, though weak in spots." He qualified his optimism by saying that the team was playing a "enterprising" schedule and he would consider this a successful season if they could better last year's 5-3-1 record. The season opened with a loss to Hofstra but the Royals followed with four consecutive wins including a 40-12 route of Franklin & Marshall. Unfortunately, the "Carlesimomen" were then shut out by Temple 20-0 before finishing the season with a victory over King's to finish the season 5-2-0.
Although 16 letterman had returned for the 1955 season, 16 letterman had also graduated. Carlesimo said "... the situation isn't too bright." Among the graduating players was Jim Lavery who was called the "the greatest offensive star in the history of the school." To make things even worse the team faced Temple in its first game; (the scheduled opener against Hofstra had been canceled due to Hurricane Diane) and Temple had shut out the Royals 20-0 late in the 1954 season. But the team's spirits were lifted by a good scrimmage against Cornell. They went into Philadelphia with fire in their eyes and came out with the 20-6 victory over Temple. A 14-13 victory over St. Vincent's followed but the Royals then lost to Upsala 24-6 in the deluge of a tropical storm. After that the Royals won the rest of their games finishing the season 6-1-0.
Once again Carlesimo was concerned about the loss of letterman and the overall lack of depth and experience in the numerically small squad. "It'll be tough to match last year's record. In fact, we'll be lucky to win more than we lose." The coach was right to be concerned. The 1956 season was a disaster at the worst possible time. Football revenues had been declining and attendance dropping even though the team had been achieving winning seasons. The Royals were trounced 31-0 by American International in the opening game. And it was all downhill from there. The team lost its first six games before beating Pennsylvania Military College 34-21. The Purple and White then lost the final game to Albright ending with a 1-7-0 record. Game attendance started small and dwindled. The first game drew 2593 fans, the second, 1020. By the time of the Royals fifth loss, a 14-0 defeat in by Muhlenberg, only 263 fans attended the game.
"If we break even this season, we'll consider it successful." Carlesimo was very cautious about the chances for his team in 1957 after the debacle of the 1956 season. As usual the team was inexperienced and numerically small. When asked what he thought the chances were that the team would better last season's 1-7 record Carlesimo responded "Good, if injuries are kept to a minimum." The team started well with a 20-0 victory over Albright. Unfortunately the team was quickly riddled by injuries and dropped the next two games. The team recovered with the 34-0 victory over King's College, but lost two more before ending the season with a victory over Wilkes for a 3-4-0 record.
Carlesimo was a little more hopeful concerning the 1958 season due to the return of 15 letterman. Unfortunately, the team started off with two shut out losses to Boston College and Juniata College. The team reversed direction with a 26-0 route of King's College and a 7-0 defeat of Temple in a mud bowl. Two more victories followed including a 21-0 victory over Waynesburg College that featured halfback Joe Belucci filling in as quarterback. Starting quarterback Ed Zelinski was injured in the game and the second and third string quarterbacks were both already out of action. The Royals end of the season by defeating Wilkes but losing to Albright in their final game for a 5-3-0 record.
Information on the football team during its last couple years is difficult to come by. The athletic department records for the football team in 1959 and 60 consist mainly of game contracts, financial reports, and advertising solicitations. The team was barely surviving and apparently much of Carlesimo's energy went into fund-raising. In an effort get people into the football stadium Carlesimo tried some innovative scheduling. Since national broadcasts of college football kept people home on Saturday afternoons, Carlesimo scheduled some games for Saturday morning. According to the Aquinas, Scranton was the first college or university to "try such a stunt."
The Purple and White suffered a homecoming and opening game defeat to Muhlenberg as a kickoff to the 1959 season. The team also lost sophomore halfback Nick Volpetti when he broke his ankle in the second half after gaining 58 yards in eight carries earlier in the game. In the next game the Royals managed to upset Temple and then went on to defeat Drexel before suffering an unexpected loss to King's. But the Royals rebounded with a 19-6 defeat of heavily favored Albright. The Royals split the last four games losing to Juniata and Hofstra then beating American International and Wilkes to end the season with a 5-4-0 record. Center and linebacker Leo Broadhurst was named to be Pennsylvania All-State squad for the second year in a row and was also named to the Williamson Little All-American Team. A proposal was made to retire Broadhurst's number, 52.